As promised in part 1, here are ten great ways to relieve stress!
There are certainly more than ten ways to relieve stress and different recommendations, however, these are just the tip of the relieve stress iceberg which I find to be easy, quick and available to most of us at all times.
1 Give back to others: Find a charity, school, hospital, youth group, etc where you can volunteer and help others. Giving back to society is a great way to help yourself and others. It feels good not to sweat the small stuff.
2. Become aware of what stress feels like:
Begin to listen to your body and “feel” what tension is doing to it. Learn natural ways to relax such as reflexology, yoga, meditation and positive affirmations.
3. Focus on the moment: The past cannot be changed and the future is unknown. At this time the “what ifs” are a waste of time and energy. Focus and enjoy what ever you are doing in that moment.
4. Do a daily journal: Getting your thoughts and feelings out on paper can be very helpful and insightful.
5. Laugh: Remember as a child how fun it was to play and laugh? Do something that you consider to be fun and enjoy it no matter how silly it seems.
6. Stretch during the day: Whether it is from sitting or standing too much, take a short break at least every two hours to slowly stretch your back, neck, arms, legs and hands.
7. Get to bed early enough to get adequate sleep at night: Sleep deprivation is known to contribute to weight gain, lack of focus, irritability and poor judgment.
8. Practice deep breathing: Concentrate on long, slow, deep belly breaths. Most of the time we take short chest/lung breaths only. To do a belly breath, take a deep breath, watch your belly expand and then finish by inhaling up through the chest. This is a great way to increase oxygen to your body – a very healthy benefit.
9. Exercise: Choose something you enjoy or step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Do you like to dance, work out at the gym, brisk walk, play ball, tennis, basketball or bowl? The possibilities are endless.
10. Spend quality time with family, friends and pets: Being with those you love and enjoy is very healing. Talk about fun memories, things you want to do and places you want to visit. Find out what is going on in their lives too.
Remember we have the power to choose how we let things effect us. Stress is something we take on and we can also let it go. I applaud you for taking positive steps in your health and well being.
Please let me know how stress has been effecting your life and what you have found to help eliminate it.